190/55 ON A K5 GSX-R 1000

[originalracingsnake]

Std fitment is 190/50, but I have some trackday scrubs and the rear is a 190/55.

Is i going to be an issue, clearance on swinger looks like it will be fine. I'm not bothered if the hugger has to go, less horrid plastic to cart about.

I have heard that R1's respond well to the 55 profile from a 50, but a K5 GSX-R?

The tyre is not fitted yet, but will be tomorrow if opinion favours it.

[originalracingsnake]

Looks like this answers the question.......

[lorenzo]

I've recently done this on my srad, and it reacted very well indeed. The only thing I have noticed, and this may not apply to your chassis as much as it does mine, is that it wants to wheely and shake its head slightly more after hitting crests etc. I guess this is due to the effect of raising the rear, which in turn has steepened the forks slightly. I say shake it's head, it's never been a full on slapper, just a shimmy in my hands ever now and again.

[speedy sie]

running a 180/55 on mine and a bit more stable in the bends at a good lean,but as thay say in the wet in a stright line it can come undone with a bit to much throtle.

but all in all a good mod,been using them fore some time now...

[rureadyboots]

I ve always gone for a 190/55 my reasoning being the bigger the contact patch the less likely I ll be to highside myself into next week. With 160 bph I think bigger is better.

[originalracingsnake]

All good then, thanks chaps.

[originalracingsnake]

Metzeler Racetec K1 Front and K2 Rear.

They steer vaguely and slowly until warmed, but they do grip right away, in fact cold grip is as good as the Pilot Roads I took off. As the tyre warms up it gives you more feedback, and after about 5 miles the bars were alive in my hands. That was a very odd feeling as the bike has never had talkative tyres on it before, only ST type rubber. So all the talk of race tyres being SO much better than road tyres is true in that respect. The tyre allows you to set the pitch of the bike as you want, you'll never run out of grip on the road and I failed to get the rear to spin, or to push the front. Mind you, I was riding with the thought that these were new on the rims and had heat cycle oils on them from the previous owner.

To be able to use 80% throttle, leant over, in 2nd gear and have the front lift was weird, especially as the back tyre was telling me just how much of a pussy I was being. They feel really good on the brakes, very stable and loads and loads of feel and grip. I have to drop down from 60 mph to walking pace in about 100m approaching the office and the Pilot front used to squeal in protest. Not this tyre, the back was off the floor and the bike was slowing in a controlled and measured way. Bad sides? They are more flighty than the Pilot Road, or was that just the fact I could feel more through the bars and pegs? Not sure, but the bike never got slappy, just wagged the bars in the lower gears over rough patches when giving it some. High speed stability is fine.

So, if they could make these tyres last 6.5k miles like the Pilot Roads, I'd pay £300 a set. As it is, at £85 for track days scrubs, the next 1000 or so dry miles should be a lot of fun. Not sure how they will be in the wet, as the shoulder is slick and the grooves are short and not very deep...

[originalracingsnake]

Tell you what, these tyres don't half make you think about how good, and how much you take for granted on a full road tyre. I ride like they are new for the first 10 minutes until I am sure that the heat is in them.

One question though, you hear a lot talked about tyres being cold on one side (usually the left side at UK tracks), so on the road, you prolly only heat up the centre properly. Why does the heat not propagate through the whole tyre carcass? I mean it has steel bands in it right, so they must conduct heat right through from edge to edge, surely? Should I begin to analyse my commute for left/right %ages?

Will be putting fresh Pilot Roads on for the winter after what you have said though......